How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Hickory, NC?

The median hourly wage is $24.18. The middle half earn between $21.07 and $28.50 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Hickory, NC?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.73 an hour ($36,880 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.07.

Do HVAC technicians make more in Hickory or Charlotte?

Charlotte pays more: the median is $50,300 in Hickory and $59,840 in Charlotte, a 16% difference.

How does Hickory pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?

The Hickory median of $50,300 is 12% less than the North Carolina median of $57,260.

HVAC technician salary in Hickory, NC

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC area earn a median of $50,300 a year, or $24.18 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $73,240. That's 12% less than the North Carolina median of $57,260.

Median yearly pay$50,300

Bottom 10% under$36,880Top 10% over$73,240

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $17.73/hr
Jobs in this area: 300
After cost of living: $56,850
Median hourly pay: $24.18/hr
vs U.S. median: −18%
vs North Carolina median: −12%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 25860, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC). Excludes self-employed HVAC technicians. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Apprentice to senior HVAC technician pay

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Apprentice / entry level	$36,880–$43,820$17.73–$21.07/hr
Experienced technician	$50,300$24.18/hr
Senior / top earners	$59,290–$73,240$28.50–$35.21/hr

Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.

How Hickory, NC compares

Hickory ranks 14th of 16 North Carolina metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
HVAC technicians are less concentrated in the Hickory area than nationally: 2.0 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.74 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $73,240, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $36,880: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other North Carolina metro areas

Other trades in Hickory, NC

Electrician Welder Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Hickory, NC?: HVAC technicians in the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC area earn a median of $50,300 a year, or $24.18 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $73,240.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Hickory, NC?: The median hourly wage is $24.18. The middle half earn between $21.07 and $28.50 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Hickory, NC?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.73 an hour ($36,880 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.07.
Do HVAC technicians make more in Hickory or Charlotte?: Charlotte pays more: the median is $50,300 in Hickory and $59,840 in Charlotte, a 16% difference.
How does Hickory pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?: The Hickory median of $50,300 is 12% less than the North Carolina median of $57,260.

About this data

Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 49-9021 (Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers), area code 25860 (Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed HVAC technicians and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (88.5, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures